


beneath the stars

by stalluna



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternative Universe - Kingdom, Inspired by Tangled (2010), M/M, Slow Burn, Witch Jeno, also.., bongsik is a character, flynn rider jaemin, rapunzel jeno, thief jaemin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:55:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23977813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stalluna/pseuds/stalluna
Summary: Jaemin called bullshit on the whole “long, lost” part of the story. The little prince wasn’t lost and anyone who believed that was an idiot.No, the prince was not astray or alive or waiting to be saved. The prince was dead.Or, Jaemin is a thief, a criminal with no regard for the rules and a smile dripping with charm. And Jeno... well Jeno is stuck in a tower.
Relationships: Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Comments: 16
Kudos: 58





	1. PROLOGUE

**Author's Note:**

> There will be a [star](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/88/c0/ef/88c0efa873a30ecace92e71a7e1a8741.jpg) that will lift your spirits,  
> That star will be [me](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D1AvpRDUYAAVg7q.jpg).

_Once upon a time, the Kingdom of Amaris birthed a beautiful baby boy, bringing happiness and joy to the people of the kingdom. Legend says that the man in the moon blessed the baby prince, giving him sparkling white hair and moles that reflected the constellations in the night sky._

_The people of the land were so overjoyed with the birth of the prince, that even witches and warlocks alike emerged from their place in the Dark Wood, celebrating his arrival by enchanting the night sky. The spells had every star in the night sky falling through the atmosphere, creating a beautiful shower of stars in honor of the baby prince._

Of course, Na Jaemin can’t recall these moments himself, considering he wasn’t even born at the time. He doesn’t really know if he believes in the baby being blessed by the man in the moon. It sounded like bullshit if you asked him. That was beside the point though.

Anyways. On with the story.

_The little prince lived a joyful and plentiful life, the people of the palace making sure he had everything in order to ensure this. It would stay like this for two beautiful and prosperous years._

_It wasn’t until a disastrous, fateful moment when everything came crashing down all around the kingdom. The King and Queen, promising to be back very quickly, set off on a journey through the ocean. When they were gone, the care of the baby prince had been entrusted with various nurses and caretakers that worked for the palace. One night, one of the nannies who had been watching the baby had taken him out to the village, scared that something would happen without her there. Although, things took a horrible and scary turn when the baby prince went missing among the large crowd of the village market and-_

Okay, really, Jaemin hates to interrupt again, but he can’t help it. If this story was true, what the hell? What was that nanny thinking? And why would she just let the prince out of her sight? What the fuck. Jaemin was kind of appalled. Whatever.

_The kingdom panicked, setting out on a search for the young prince for hours on end. They were met with nothing. The little prince was gone._

_The King and Queen returned to the palace quickly when they heard the news. The King, having enough trust in his people to believe that none of them could be responsible for this, blamed the disappearance of his son on the creatures of the Dark Wood._

_Witches, warlocks, faeries, nymphs. The King figured that creatures such as these must have been responsible for his son’s sudden disappearance. After decades of peace and harmony with the species of the Dark Wood, the King declared war on them._

_He had guards search every house and cottage they could find in the Dark Wood and demand for information on the missing prince. If they refused, they were brought to the kingdom to be interrogated and then stripped of their powers._

_Based on wrong judgments and old prejudices, the kingdom banned magic on the basis of the disappearance of the baby prince._

_That is how magic was outlawed from the land and that’s how the prince disappeared without a trace._

_And now? Well now, the King and Queen allowed one single witch to live in the kingdom for one sole purpose. And that would be for April 23rd, the little prince’s birthday. Every year, they enchanted the sky so that every star that night would fall through the atmosphere, leaving just the North Star. For the baby prince to follow home one day._

Jaemin thought it was all bullshit. Well, let him clarify. He knows that there was a baby prince that went missing almost 19 years ago. He’d be a fool not to believe that. (And it's not like the kingdom would ever let anyone forget about it.) No, that’s not what he didn’t believe. What Jaemin called bullshit on was the whole “long, lost” part of the story. The little prince wasn’t lost and anyone who believed that was an idiot.

The prince wasn’t astray or alive or waiting to be saved. The prince was dead.


	2. JAEMIN

Jaemin isn’t completely sure how he ended up here.

It’s not like he wanted to make it a habit of running from palace guards on, well, what most would call a regular basis. It sort of just ended up that way. Jaemin can’t lie and say that the whole running from the law thing wasn’t a good cardio workout, but it was starting to get really, really old.

Although, as Jaemin sprinted away from them, ducking right at the perfect time for an arrow to go whizzing past the top of his head, his heart beating practically out of his chest and adrenaline in his veins like fire, he couldn’t help the smile that crept on his face.

“It’s Na Jaemin! Stop the thief this instant!”

And okay yeah, Jaemin could do this all day.

The excitement of the day all stemmed from this morning when Jaemin finally set out on his plan to steal the lost prince’s crown from the throne room of the Golden Palace.

It would’ve been a relatively easy heist if it weren’t for the seemingly endless amounts of guards stationed at every entrance for the throne room. Jaemin knows, the odds weren’t necessarily in his favor, but he’d never let it stop him before. He wasn’t dead yet, so it had been working out pretty well if he does say so himself.

Jaemin had stayed up late the previous night in order to get his plan in place and all the supplies he needed in order to get away with his heist. He poured over maps in low candlelight for hours, studying the different nooks and crannies of the palace and strategizing different ways he could enter the throne room without being seen.

Turns out, the only way to do that was from above.

So, that’s how Jaemin found himself scaling the side of a palace wall with nothing but his hands and feet. It was an early Sunday morning and the sun shone high in the sky.

His hands were starting to cramp up, but he continued anyway, letting his fingers find a hold in the different crevices the bricks created and his feet finding the footholds. A steady breath. One hand in front of the other. Repeat.

Once he made it to the top of the wall, he pulled himself over the ledge of the roof and crouched down, making sure he wasn’t able to be seen from below. He sprinted across the roof, heading over to the place where he had previously carved a square in the roof the night before. The opening is just big enough for his body to slip through. He crouches down, slipping off his backpack from his shoulders and taking out everything he needs.

A harness and a rope which he tightly secured to one of the ledges of the roof.

Jaemin doesn’t waste any time as he fastens his harness around his waist and attaches it to the carabiner of the rope that would lower him into the throne room. He makes sure the knot is secure and takes a deep breath, clinging onto the rope tightly. Jaemin tightens his core as he lowers himself into the throne room, where the crown was sitting prettily on display in a glass case. Thankfully, no one was actually inside the throne room, but Jaemin was fully aware of the guards that stood outside the two large wooden doors, so he quickened his pace of lowering into the room.

He steps onto the floor as quietly as he can before he unhooks his harness from the rope. Then, he quickly makes his way over to the glass case which held the prince’s crown. Jaemin’s mouth almost watered at the sight of the plated gold and the undoubtedly priceless rubies.

Now, this… well, this was the tricky part. Scaling and climbing palace walls was Jaemin’s forte. He could do it in no time without a second thought. Although picking locks, well, was not his forte. He had practiced a countless amount of times picking the same lock he knew would be keeping him from stealing the crown swiftly, but every time, he was met with a new problem. Jaemin shook it off, trying to keep his hands from trembling as he brought out the two pins in his pocket and up to the lock.

It was a tedious task and one that would take time, so Jaemin is patient with it, working on the complicated lock carefully.

He works as quickly as he can, but with the threat of being heard, he didn’t dare make any sudden movements that could alert the guards of his presence. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Jaemin got the lock broken and it fell to the floor with a small clatter. Jaemin tensed, waiting for the sound of large wood doors opening and running footsteps. When nothing came, Jaemin bent down to pick up the lock and pockets it. He then lifts the glass case and swipes the crown easily, placing it carefully into his bag. He sets the case back down and doesn’t waste time as he makes his way towards the rope hanging from the ceiling, clasping himself to it.

His style of… thievery wasn’t one that made sure nobody knew he was there. No, he wanted everyone to know he was there and what he had taken. Jaemin wanted the whole kingdom to know his name and he wanted them to know that no matter how many guards came running after him, no matter how many swords were pointed at his throat, and no matter how many times he was taken, hands behind his back and seemingly defeated, he’d never be captured. Not by anyone.

He’s Na Jaemin, the thief with the handsome face who could outsmart anyone at anyplace.

Jaemin supposes that’s the reason a large, shit-eating grin makes its way to his face when he sees guards burst through the door as he climbs up the rope. He was halfway there and he knew he already had the advantage.

“A little late, boys, aren’t you?” Jaemin pauses his climbing to look at the guards, who were staring at him dumbfounded. Jaemin rolls his eyes. Couldn’t they offer him any more of a challenge?

“Seize him! He’s stolen the lost prince’s crown!” A guard shouted, pointing at him and then to the empty case. Finally.

“Took you long enough,” Was all Jaemin says before he salutes the guards with one hand and returns to quickly climbing. Before the guards could even reach the foot of the rope, Jaemin was at the top, climbing through the small hole he made for himself and to the roof. Jaemin lets out a small laugh as he saw the guards make an attempt at following him up. Before they could, Jaemin brought out the small knife that was tucked safely in his boot and cut the rope away.

Jaemin runs across the roof, his bag bumping against his thigh. He makes it to the spot where he had set up a rope ladder and curses when he saw it was gone. Jaemin looks over the side of the building and sees about a dozen palace guards waiting at the bottom for him.

“Come on down, Na. We’ve been waiting for you!” One of the bigger guards bellowed out and Jaemin scoffed. He was clearly outnumbered but he’s made it this far and there was no way they were getting him now. Instead, Jaemin scans the area, looking for a possible way down.

And… bingo. Jaemin spotted a patch of vines that climbed up the wall of the next building over. If he jumped over, he could scale down the vines and have enough time to escape before the guards ran over to the building to capture him.

Suddenly, he hears something whiz past his head, and he ducks just barely on time, feeling an arrow pass by at lightning speed. Jaemin looks behind him and sure enough, five guards are bounding towards him on foot, one of them with a bow and sling of arrows. Well, this made things more complicated.

Before Jaemin could make up his mind, he acted. He takes a couple of steps back from the ledge of the roof and takes a long, shallow deep breath to himself. He hears the archer notch another arrow.

“Come on, come on,” Jaemin whispers to himself, shaking out his body.

“Surrender or I’ll shoot!” The archer spoke from behind him, his arrow in position to make Jaemin a shish kebab.

Jaemin sucks in another deep breath before he takes a running start. The arrow was released from its notch and sailed through the air, just as Jaemin had. He lands on the other roof, his ribs taking a hard hit from the corner of the ledge and he groans loudly. The arrow landed right beside him, just barely missing his hand. Jaemin huffs out a quiet laugh to himself before groaning in pain at the aching of his ribs. Broken for sure.

He didn’t let himself dwell on it any longer and climbed up and over the top of the building. He keeps his head down and runs to the other side, where the patch of vines was running down to the floor. Jaemin doesn’t spare another second before he throws himself over the side of the building and clutches tightly onto the vines, scaling down as quickly as he can. He feels some arrows barely miss his body as he climbs down the vines, but he doesn’t pay them any attention. He just focused on the task at hand. The ache in his body was screaming at him to stop, but he ignores it, pressing on. Once he finally makes it down to the bottom of the building, he’s running on foot and away from the guards.

They would be no doubt on his tail, but he had a rather significant head start and he used it to his advantage. The running footsteps and cries of war from behind him only encouraged him to run faster.

Once he finally makes it out of the gates of the palace and into the village, Jaemin takes the swarms of people to his advantage. He ducks behind a nearby fruit stand, watching as the dumb guards chased after the way they thought he had gone. Idiots. (Despite the fact that they were supposedly the finest and best disciplined of the entire kingdom, the guards were frankly stupid and a bit slow.)

Jaemin helps himself to a red, juicy apple at the fruit stand, taking a large bite.

The woman who ran the stand looked at him, horrified.

“You have to pay for that!” She screamed and heads turned towards them. Jaemin cringed.

The guards turned to face the commotion and quickly spotted him.

“There! He’s there!”

“Thanks for the apple, Ms.,” Jaemin winks before he ducks behind her cart and runs through a narrow path of cobblestone. The guards were hot on his feet, so he turned at every corner he could, and soon enough, he wasn’t in the village anymore.

Tall, dense trees begin surrounding him and Jaemin knows he’s somewhere in the Dark Wood, a dark, scary place where witches and warlocks are said to live amongst the trees. Before Jaemin can think more about it, the sound of several heavy pairs of feet slapping damp dirt echoes behind him. Jaemin’s eyes work quickly, trying to search for some form of escape when he spots two large rocks piled on each other to make a little cave-like hiding spot. It was covered with long, thick ropes of vine and patchy moss.

He glances once more behind him and then pushes through the hanging vines, and into the small hideout spot. He hears the guards run past him, and he sighs, slumping against the large rock that held up the vines. And that's when he saw-

A large, grassy clearing nestled between several large jagged cliffs.

Jaemin blinks once. Twice. Flexes his hands before bracing himself against the rock he was leaning on, using one hand to pick himself off from the floor.

Jaemin would admire the beautiful scenery if he wasn’t distracted by the giant, thirty-foot fucking tower standing in the middle of the clearing.

It’s tall and stretches up towards the sky. Green, twisting vines that crawled up the brick with beautiful, blooming flowers of various bright colors. It was beautiful and looked almost unreal as he stared up in it in disbelief.

Jaemin made his way over to the foot of the tower, clutching his badly aching ribs. Perhaps he could stay here overnight? Was there someone nice enough to offer their hospitality to him?

Except, when Jaemin searched for the door and didn’t find one, his eyebrows dipped in confusion. There was no ground-level entrance, only a small window at the face of the tower, thirty feet above.

“Hello? Is anybody up there?!” Jaemin shouted, cupping his hands to his mouth. He was met with an almost eerie silence.

“Hello?!” He tried again. Nothing.

Jaemin sighs, eyeing up the tower. The exterior of the tower is made up of small cobblestones, too small for Jaemin to find purchase in crevices so he can climb. It’s almost like it was made to be unclimbable and no matter how infamous Jaemin was for his skills, he couldn’t do much with a couple busted ribs. Instead, he sighs again and leans against the tower, bringing up an arm to his ribs. Perhaps he can stay here for the night.

The sun was already setting and he wasn’t brave enough to go out into the Dark Wood at night. It doesn’t matter, all that was important was that he was safe, he had his crown, and the guards were gone. Maybe by morning, he would be well-rested and his ribs wouldn’t be aching as much.

Except, just as he closed his eyes and settled his head against the hard cobblestone of the tower, he felt something grab at his sides and torso.

Jaemin looked down and yelped loudly when he saw the thick, winding vines from the tower wrapping themselves around his middle. He scrambled up as the vines worked fast, covering his entire body and lifting him up in the air. A cry emitted from Jaemin’s mouth and he did his best to try and push off the growing vines, but the more he struggled, the tighter they got.

Before Jaemin could even properly react, he was being carried up the side of the tower by the vines. Once he was in front of the window, he finally saw what, or rather who was doing this to him.

A boy, no older than him probably, was standing at the window with his hands held out in front of him. Jaemin opened his mouth to speak but before he could say anything else, he felt himself being pushed forward and then he was inside, dropping to the hard tiles of the tower’s floor.

The vines moved on their own, loosening their grip around his body but still staying firmly wrapped around him. Jaemin gasped for air, hyperventilating.

“What- what they fuck?” Jaemin panted, trying to struggle against the vines. He wanted to rip them away from his body. He looked up to the boy, who was still standing by the window and looking at him with an unimpressed expression, his arms crossed. When the boy said nothing, Jaemin gritted his teeth and tried to swipe away at the green foliage, only for them to tighten as they had previously.

“They’ll just keep tightening if you struggle like that,” The boy said and Jaemin glared at the boy harshly from the ground.

“Yeah, I can fucking see that. How do I get them off?” Jaemin spat and the boy tilted his head at him, as if he was something to behold. Jaemin didn’t wait for an answer before he crept his hand slowly to his boot, where he knew his pocket knife still was. If he could just-

The boy flicked his wrist and the vines secured themselves around Jaemin’s hand. Jaemin’s jaw dropped and that’s when he realized that the vines weren’t magical, the boy was. He was controlling the vines.

A witch? But… that wasn’t possible.

“Who are you, and how did you find me?” The boy spoke, his voice carrying an edge to it that Jaemin didn’t want to test. He came close to Jaemin, crouching down in front of him and staring at him with wide eyes.

From here, Jaemin was able to see the boy clearly for the first time.

He had big, wide eyes that seemed to bore into Jaemin’s soul and long blonde, almost white hair that fell right below his ears. There was a mole decorating the top of his cheekbone and the way his eyelashes fluttered against his cheek every time he blinked could be described as nothing but pretty. He couldn’t have been much older than Jaemin, if at all and he wondered why such a handsome boy like him was locked away in this tower.

Suddenly, Jaemin felt the vines tighten around his body and this time, the grip was so strong, he could feel some parts of his body going numb. He groaned when a particular vine was fastened too tight around his ribcage.

“Hey, hey! What’s with the vines, dude? Is this really what you call a fair fight?” Jaemin tried putting on his coldest glare but the boy didn’t seem phased. Instead, he loosened the grip on Jaemin.

“You never answered my question. And what are you talking about? What fight?” The boy asked promptly and he sat in front of Jaemin criss-cross style with his hands in his lap. “Aren’t you here to cut off my hair and try to steal my magical powers?” The boy asked it with an unnerving amount of curiosity rather than concern.

Jaemin slit his eyes at him.

“Look, this has been fun and all, but I really need to get going. I’m not here to steal your hair or whatever. I just want to go home.” Jaemin spoke truthfully for once in his life. The boy didn’t pay him much attention. Instead, he cooed softly as a cat Jaemin hadn’t noticed before jumped off from the ledge of the window and made itself comfortable in the boy’s lap. He coddled the cat for a couple more beats before Jaemin cleared his throat.

“Hello? Handsome, heartthrob thief stuck in some magical vines over here?”

“So you are a thief!” The boy exclaimed, seeming proud of himself to make the connection on his own. Jaemin sighed.

“Yes, but I don’t steal hair or magical powers. Only shiny stuff, I promise. Now can you get me out of these?” Jaemin said exasperated. The boy tilted his head again, contemplating.

“Tell me your name first. And how you found this tower,” The boy said firmly and Jaemin rolled his eyes.

“The names’ Jaemin. Na Jaemin. And I found your tower after… running away from some bad guys. You see, they had something of mine and I… took it back. Yeah. So I was running through the woods and, I don’t know, I just found this place.” Jaemin shrugged as much as he could, being wrapped in vines. The boy let out a small gasp.

“Did you get back what they stole from you?” He asked, his eyes wide and his lips puckered in awe. Jaemin smiled. How gullible could this guy be?

“Mhmm,” Jaemin hummed. “Yup. Made it out unscathed minus a couple of broken ribs, probably. What’s your name by the way? It’s only fair you tell me since you forced me to, y’know?” Jaemin asked and the other boy just stared at him, before scanning his body closely.

“My name is Jeno. And did you say broken ribs? Are you okay?” The boy, Jeno, said with an almost adorable amount of concern. Finally, he let the vines fall away completely and Jaemin sighed in relief, his hand immediately going up to his aching ribs.

“Let me see,” Jeno muttered and batted away Jaemin’s hand.

Jeno began to unbutton Jaemin’s white shirt, presumably to get a better look at his injury and nothing else, but Jaemin couldn’t help himself.

“Woah, woah, not even gonna take me out to dinner first? You move fast. I like it,” Jaemin smirked and Jeno stopped his movements, looking up at him in confusion. The tips of his ears were red. Cute.

“I’m just- I just wanted to check your wound. I didn’t mean to violate you.” Jeno said and his eyes were impossibly wide again. Jaemin just laughed softly and brought his hands to Jeno’s, guiding them back to his shirt.

“It was just a joke. You can continue,”

Jeno nodded frantically and wet back to undoing his shirt. He unbuttoned the shirt all the way down and pushed the shirt past Jaemin’s shoulders. Jaemin looked down at himself and grimaced when he saw how bad the injury actually was. There was ugly, purple bruising all along his rib cage and Jeno gasped. He trailed his fingers along the bruises and Jaemin sucked in a breath.

“Jaemin, this is going to be a little weird, but don’t freak out, okay?” Jeno spoke softly and Jaemin opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by the way Jeno grabbed his hand.

Jeno guided Jaemin’s hand to the top of his hair and set it on his scalp. Jaemin raised an eyebrow and Jeno opened his mouth to speak.

“JENO! I’m home!” A voice interrupted them from outside. A male voice at the bottom of the tower.

“Shit. Shit, shit shit.” Jeno cursed under his breath and let go of Jaemin’s hand, springing up quickly.

“Just a second, Hyung!” Jeno called and gestured for Jaemin to stand up in a frantic manner. Jaemin followed, getting up from the ground.

“He can’t know you’re here. He’ll probably try and kill you.” Jeno whispered and Jaemin turned to him incredulously.

“Kill me?!” He whisper-yelled and Jeno took him by the shoulders, shoving him through a door that Jaemin hadn’t noticed before.

“Just- just hide somewhere, please? He can’t know you’re here. Hide under the bed or the closet or something. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Jeno whispered frantically, turning away to leave. Before he could, Jaemin grabbed his wrist.

“Wait, Jeno, who is that?” Jaemin looked into Jeno’s boring eyes, who was biting his lip nervously. He glanced out the door and back to the window before finding Jaemin’s gaze again.

“He’s the one who keeps me in this tower. Doyoung Hyung.”


	3. JENO

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why do stars fall down from the sky  
> Every time you walk by?

Jeno has been staring out a window his entire life. Literally. 

Whether it be staring at the grass down below, the beautiful clearing out in front of him, or the stars above in the night sky, it seemed like Jeno had been at the small window his entire life, waiting for something to happen. 

Waiting for anything. A _sign._

Jeno remembers the first time he sees the falling stars. It was his fifth birthday and Doyoung had just tucked him in his bed after reading him his favorite bedtime story. It had been a good birthday- probably his best even to this day.

Doyoung had said something about a big surprise the day before, but the last thing Jeno had thought of getting as a gift was a baby _kitten._ Newly five year old Jeno had been so overjoyed at the time, tears of happiness had fallen from his large eyes. Yeah, definitely his best birthday so far. 

So, as soon as Doyoung closed the door to his own room, Jeno had crept out from under his thick blankets and padded out of his room and into the dark, making his way to Bongsikkie’s bed, when he saw them from the corner of his eye. 

Outside, high in the night sky, stars fell through the atmosphere. Jeno scrambled quickly to the window, using the tip toes of his feet to see out the sill of the window. He stared up in awe at the millions of bright, glowing white stars falling through the sky, creating a beautiful shower of shimmers and sparkles against the night sky. Each and every single one of them reflected into Jeno’s large eyes. 

The stars did that every year on his birthday. 

And now, even fifteen years later, Jeno is still drawn to them. Like a moth drawn to a flame, Jeno couldn’t help the way he waited for the sun to set and to see the first star appear in the sky, waiting to see the first one fall through the atmosphere. 

Now, even fifteen years later, Jeno is staring at the stars. Except, the ones he’s staring at right now are painted on the ceiling. 

Jeno is lying with his back to the floor, his arm tucked beneath his head as he stares at the stars on the ceiling. He had painted them himself. Bongsik was tucked snugly between his legs. Jeno knows that he should probably be studying, practicing his spells and what-not. That’s what Doyoung would want for him to be doing, at least. 

Although, he knows that if he untucked the old, dusty spellbook from their large bookshelf, opened it and started reading, his eyes would glaze over and he’d be stuck reading the same sentence over and over again. He really, really hated practicing new spells. 

Still, Jeno still feels guilty that he’s outright disobeying Doyoung’s instructions to study the new spell while he was gone today. Sure, Doyoung was harsh and intense at times. Perhaps a little overbearing too. But Jeno knows how much Doyoung loved him and he knows that the older would probably do anything for him in order to ensure his safety. Doyoung had just been trying to protect him. 

He knows that Doyoung and he aren’t related. Not really. Doyoung had always been truthful with him from the beginning.

Jeno knew that Doyoung had found a little baby Jeno wandering all alone in the Dark Wood and, out of the kindness of his heart, Doyoung took him back to his cottage deep in between the trees. He soon found out that Jeno was a witch, just like Doyoung and he had figured his family wasn’t far away, since many witch families took residence in the Dark Wood. 

Jeno himself didn’t remember any of this, but Doyoung had explained to him at a young age that between the short days when Doyoung was caring for Jeno, trying to find his family, guards from the palace had ambushed the woods. Raiding houses, killing mystical creatures. Declaring war with the magical people. Magic had been outlawed. 

Doyoung, in fear of being hunted down and stripped of his powers, took them to a hidden away tower, deep in the Dark Wood. They would stay there in order to not get caught by the palace guards. 

_“It’s dangerous out there for people like you and me, Jen.”_ Doyoung had explained to him with a soft voice and careful words. _“You can only leave this tower whenever I say it’s okay… Do you understand me? I won’t be able to stand if something happened to you, baby.”_

And yeah. Doyoung said he wasn’t allowed to leave the tower. Jeno didn’t leave the tower. It was simple. Except…

Was it really?

Jeno’s 20th birthday was _tomorrow_ , and he couldn’t help but feel like… He doesn’t know. He just wants to see the world. Life with Doyoung in the tower wasn't _bad,_ per say. Jeno had plenty of fun staying inside, practicing new spells, painting on practically any surface he could find, and learning new songs on his guitar. Doyoung hardly left the tower himself, only leaving maybe once or twice a week to go down to the village in order to get their essential living items. 

That’s where Doyoung was right now. 

He thought about the disapproving look Doyoung would send him if he came home to Jeno staring at the ceiling and he sighed. He picked himself off from the hard tiles of the floor and patted Bongsik’s head, making his way to their large bookshelf to fetch his spell book. 

That’s when Jeno heard it. Barely audible, but the tower and the clearing were just quiet enough for Jeno to hear. 

A small, short grunt. Jeno’s eyebrows dipped in confusion and he made his way over to the window looking over the side and seeing-

A boy? 

A _boy_. Jeno blinked a couple times to make sure he wasn’t going completely insane and confirmed. 

This… was going to be an interesting day, Jeno supposes. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


Jeno sighed to himself, closing the door to the room he had just left Jaemin in. He ran over to the window, looking down to where Doyoung had been waiting and quickly muttered the spell under his breath. 

Vines from the tower wall slowly made their way down, collecting themselves into a rope for Doyoung to grab onto. Jeno hooked the vines onto a hook that they had set up for this and pulled Doyoung up to the window. He took the basket that he was holding and helped Doyoung inside. 

Jeno couldn’t help the way he glanced over to the shut door, where he knew Jaemin was hiding.

“Hi, uh, Hyung. How was your trip?” Jeno is a little breathless. Doyoung squinted his eyes at him in confusion and then looked all around the tower, his gaze searching. 

Doyoung had an air of elegancy to him wherever he went, carrying himself with his spine carefully straight and his shoulders back. He was wearing a deep, midnight blue cloak. The one he always wore when he went out to the village right outside the Dark Wood. It was old, and soft from years of use, but well-kept. Doyoung met Jeno’s gaze, studying him. Like he could see right through the facade he was trying to pull. Although, Doyoung’s tone wasn’t accusing when he spoke. 

“Why did it take so long for you to get me up here?” His eyebrows are tilted upward. He removed his cloak and cast a silent spell so it floated in the air to the coat hanger they had. 

“I was, uh, just washing up.” Jeno lied quickly and Doyoung just nodded. 

“My trip was good, I suppose,” Doyoung answers Jeno’s previous question, “I found the potatoes for your birthday soup tomorrow. I still have to go and find the other ingredients, though…” 

“Are… you going to go look for them soon? Where will you find them if they weren’t at the village market?” Jeno tilted his head. 

Doyoung pursed his lips. 

“Well, I suppose I could go to the market in the next village over, but I wouldn’t be back until tomorrow evening. Are you sure you’ll be okay here all alone?” 

Doyoung looks into Jeno’s eyes deeply. Jeno has been staring up to that gaze for as long as he can remember, the one filled with countless emotions. Love. Adoration. Concern. Guilt. 

Jeno smiles, tipping his head down. 

“Of course, Hyung. I’m just happy you’d travel such a long way for me.” 

“Of course I would, Jeno. You know that.” 

“Yeah, I know, Hyung,” Jeno’s smile is small. 

He can’t help the welling emotions that build in his chest. He really is thankful for Doyoung in his life. He knows how witches are treated in the kingdom and he can’t help but think that he’d probably be dead- or worse, his powers stripped, if it wasn’t for Doyoung. 

Doyoung smiled, the gummy one that he saves just tender moments like this and he brings Jeno closer to him. Hugs him long and tight. Caresses Jeno’s hair lovingly and sighs. 

Doyoung pulls back, his hands still up in Jeno’s hair. 

“Ah, when did my baby get so big? 20 years old… you are getting too old Lee Jeno.” 

“Enough, Hyung, enough,” Jeno whines, embarrassed. He pushes Doyoung’s hands away with a fond smile. 

“I should get going, shouldn’t I? Before that sun falls, I suppose.” 

Jeno nods, “Yeah. Are you sure you want to travel this late though? The sun _will_ be setting soon.” 

“Yes, yes, I want to make sure and be back before tomorrow night at least. It will be a long journey, especially on foot, so if I’m not back by then, don’t worry, okay? I’ll be back by six at the earliest. I know it sucks that I won’t be able to spend your entire birthday with you, but I want to make sure you have the best soup you’ve ever tasted for your big 20th,” Doyoung smiled and Jeno smiles back. 

He can’t help but think that the timing is perfect. With Doyoung about to leave again and Jaemin hidden away in his closet. Perhaps his one birthday wish will finally come true… 

Jeno bids Doyoung goodbye for a second time that day, making sure he had his cloak and his spell book and various potions tucked away in his satchel. Doyoung leaves the tower through the small window, using the vines as always and Jeno watches as he makes his way down and through the clearing. 

Doyoung turns once more, waving big at Jeno before ducking beneath the two rocks and through the vines, into the Dark Wood. 

Doyoung is gone and- 

Jeno immediately turns away from the window, rushing over to his room where he left Jaemin. 

He opened the door and Jaemin was sitting on the bed, staring at the ceiling. 

“Hey, did you paint all this?” Jaemin’s head was tilted up and he sounded in awe. Jeno tilted his head. 

“Um, yeah…” Jeno sat beside Jaemin on his bed, which was covered in a very cute cat pattern Dououng had surprised him with years ago.

Sitting next to Jaemin, well, that had been a mistake because- 

Jeno sat down and Jaemin lunged into action, throwing his body onto Jeno’s, pinning him down to the bed. Jeno let out a cry of fear as Jaemin hovered above him, both of his knees locking Jeno in place, one hand by Jeno’s head supporting his weight and his other hand holding a small, shiny pocket knife to Jeno’s throat. 

Fear gripped Jeno’s heart, a scalding hot piece of iron with a deathly grip. Jeno wondered briefly if this would be the last thing he sees before he dies. 

Jaemin’s wild eyes staring back into his, a deathly edge to them. 

“Where’s my satchel.” 

The question was said as a statement and Jaemin’s voice was low and rough, a vast contrast to the one Jeno was greeted with before. 

Jeno took a shuddering breath as he felt tears prick in his eyes and okay yeah- maybe it wasn’t the best idea to charm a _thief’s_ satchel under his breath while said thief wasn’t paying attention. Not his best decision. 

Except, when Jaemin had been distracted with the vines, his satchel sitting right next to him, just waiting for Jeno to do something, he couldn’t help it. Jeno had whispered a silent charm to himself, casting the bag invisible. When Jeno had rushed Jaemin into his room, Jeno had stealthily snatched it from the floor and stuffed it into a nearby pot they had sitting on the floor. 

“I- I’ll tell you, just let me up!” Jeno exclaimed, his voice desperate in a way that he hated. 

“Promise you won't do any of your witch magic on me if I do?” Jaemin asking skeptically. Smartly. Jeno nodded frantically and took a deep breath when Jaemin removed the knife away from his neck. 

Jeno didn’t hesitate. He brought a fist up, hitting Jaemin in the face _hard._ Jaemin fell on the bed beside him, groaning in pain and Jeno scrambled away from him. He fell onto the floor frantically and moved away from him as fast as he could. 

“What the hell!” 

“You said not to use any magic!” 

“That doesn’t mean you can _hit_ me, what the fuck?” 

“You had a knife to my throat, what was I supposed to do!?” 

“You stole my satchel!” 

“After coming to _my_ tower. And admitting you’re a thief! How am I supposed to trust you?” 

Jaemin sighed, still clutching his face. He sat up on the bed and looked at Jeno wearily. As if he has finally seen Jeno as a _person_ rather than just an inconvenience. 

“Just- can I have my bag back, please? I promise I can get out of your hair as soon as possible. I _swear_ I didn’t know anyone lived here. I didn’t even know this tower existed!” 

Jeno stared at Jaemin, his head tilted in contemplation. 

“Yeah, I’ll give you back your satchel.” 

“Thank god. Look just give it back to me and I’ll be on my way-”

“On one condition.” 

“Oh, come on!” 

Jaemin was looking at him with exasperation and Jeno felt a twinge of guilt. But Jaemin was _here_ and Jeno had been waiting for an opportunity like this for his entire life. Jaemin… Jaemin was his only chance. 

“I’ll give you back your satchel! I promise. Look, just hear me out, please?” 

Jeno spoke softly and Jaemin was still sitting on the bed, clutching his face still. His eyes were softer now, compared to the harsh glare he had given Jeno earlier. Jeno’s room was small, and it was weird seeing someone like Jaemin in his room. A boy, hard and rugged, against baby blue painted walls with stars decorating the ceiling. Jeno picked himself off from the floor, approaching Jaemin cautiously. 

“I want… I want you to take me to see the falling stars,” Jeno spoke, his head bowed down and voice quiet. Now that the said it, he felt kind of stupid. 

“The… what?” 

“You know, every April 23rd, all the stars fall from the sky. I- I don’t know how it happens, but every year, on the night of April 23rd, _my birthday,_ they fall from the sky.” 

“Oh. You mean the star shower thing they have for the prince?” Jaemin tilted his head, confusion etching his features. 

“Star shower?” 

“Yeah, every year, for the baby prince’s birthday, the King allows one witch in the palace in order to enchant the sky. It’s a long story but they do it in honor of the dead prince.” Jaemin explains and Jeno nods, not really caring about the details. 

Jeno had been staring at those stars his entire life and this was his only chance to see them from beyond the window. From beyond the tiny living space he called a home. This was his chance to go out and see the world, to see if it was everything he’d dreamt up in his mind. 

“Can you just take me to see them? Please? It’s all I’m asking for. I’ll give you your crown back, I promise, you just have to take me to go see them. After that, you can bring me back to the tower and leave, like nothing happened.” 

Jaemin blinked at him, staring at Jeno with a look that he couldn’t decipher. Jeno was almost close to dropping down to his knees in order to beg. Although, before he could act on that incredibly horrible and embarrassing thought, Jaemin sighed. 

“Won’t your Hyung find out? Wouldn’t he be mad?” 

_He’d be furious_ , Jeno thought to himself but he didn’t voice his thoughts. It didn’t matter. No matter how much Doyoung loved and cared for him, he couldn’t keep Jeno locked away in this tower for his entire life. Even if it was to protect him. 

“He won’t find out. And if he does, _I’ll_ deal with him. We can leave him a note if he comes back earlier than expected. He’ll freak out for sure, but there’s nothing he can do when I’m not here.” Jeno reasoned and Jaemin just shrugged.

“Look, I don’t really care if I’m going to be honest. You just have to get me my satchel and we can go.” 

Jeno raised an eyebrow. 

“Hold on- wait. You can’t have your satchel back _now._ How do I know that you won’t just take the satchel and leave me deserted somewhere? Report me to the kingdom and have me killed?” 

“Well, I guess you won’t know, but that’s the excitement of it! I get my satchel and you get stranded in the Dark Wood. I’ve heard it really builds character, you know,” Jaemin smiled, like a 100 watts and Jeno met him with a deadpan look. 

“No, you can either take me to go see the falling stars and get your precious satchel back, or you can leave right now, on foot with your broken ribs.” Jeno said, his voice harsh in a way that he’s never heard from himself before. He walked closer to where Jaemin was still sitting on the bed, his face set. 

“And let me tell you right now, _Na Jaemin_. No matter how hard you look or how long you search, you will never find your satchel. You can tear this tower apart, brick by brick and it will never see the light of day again. I can promise you that.” 

Jaemin was staring at him with something in his eyes akin to both fear and awe. 

“And I never, _ever_ break my promises.” Jeno spoke with a tone of finality. Just then, Bongsik sauntered into the room, immediately coming to Jeno’s feet. He couldn’t help the coos of endearment that fell from his mouth as he smiled and picked her up. He pet her white fur with admiration, looking up to Jaemin. 

“Can Bongsik come too?” 

Jeno’s smile was deathly sweet as he stared at Jaemin, his eyes pulled into crests and his teeth on full display. 

Jaemin stared at his smile, looking scared for his life. 

  
  
  
  
  


“You have magical hair that heals?” His voice was a mix of disbelief and awe as Jeno removed Jaemin’s hand from the top of his head. Jaemin poked at his freshly healed ribs and Jeno giggled. 

They were back in the main room, away from the confines of his small bedroom. Jeno had offered to finally heal Jaemin’s badly broken ribs and the other small cuts and bruises Jaemin had gathered. 

“Yeah… Doyoung says he’s never met a witch who could do such a thing. He always used to tell me I was born special.” Jeno shrugged. 

Jaemin stared down at himself and then looked up to Jeno, a light smile on his face. 

“That’s a pretty handy magical power if I do say so myself,” The smirk was back on Jaemin’s face and his lighthearted tone was back. Jeno was relieved. The last thing he wanted on the journey ahead was animosity between them. 

“Thanks. So, um- are you ready, or?” Jeno blinked, not knowing what to say. 

Jaemin sighed, letting his eyes pass over the interior of the tower, as if he was searching for all the various possible places his satchel could be hidden. His eyes fell back to Jeno. 

“The quicker we leave the quicker we can get back, right?” Jaemin shrugged and Jeno beamed. 

The vine rope was still there from when Doyoung had previously left and the afternoon sun was shining high in the sky. Jeno had offered to climb down first, but Jaemin had just given him a short laugh before throwing himself over the side of the tower. Jeno let out a cry of surprise and looked through the window to see Jaemin scaling down the side of the tower with the vines in hand, almost at an impossible pace. 

Huh. Healed ribs really made a difference. 

“Hurry up, witch boy! Let’s get this show on the road!” Jaemin called from down below. He looked tiny from this view, amongst the vast ground. 

Jeno braced himself. Blinked several times. Bongsik mewled smally from her kettle, which was clutched tightly in his hand. He looked over the side again and clutched the thick rope between his fingers, mumbling a short enchantment under his breath. 

Bongsik’s kettle began to float beside him and it flew through the threshold of the window floating down quickly. 

“You got her?!” Jeno shouted down to Jaemin, who grabbed her kettle from the air. 

“Still can’t believe we're taking the cat!” 

Jeno rolled his eyes and stared at the ground below him. He turned his head, letting his eyes sweep around his small tower. The place he grew up in, his home. It was a bitter-sweet goodbye and Jeno felt bile rise up in the back of his throat at the thought of Doyoung finding out he had left the tower. Like Jeno had said earlier, he and Jaemin had taken the time to write a quick note just _in case_ that happened, but Jeno didn’t even want to consider that a possibility. 

“Your precious Bongsikkie and I are waiting for you, darling!” Jaemin called down from below and Jeno smiled a little, turning back to the window. 

A steady breath, and his hands were on the thick vines. They trembled as he moved them. 

He clutched it tightly and pulled himself through the window, trying not to gasp as he felt his body suspended in the air, 30 feet above the hard ground. Jeno closed his eyes, exhaling deeply through his nose. 

_Come on, Jeno. You can’t fall to your death before you even get the chance to actually see the world._

And then Jeno was moving. A slow, steady place that took much more time than Jaemin’s trip down. Finally, after what felt like forever, Jeno was only a couple feet above the grassy ground, his knees tucked in tightly to his body. 

He stared down at the daunting grass and blood was rushing through his ears, his heart pounding a mile a minute. Jeno brought his wide eyes up to Jaemin, who was now carrying Bongsik. Jaemin had this gentle look in his eyes and he offered Jeno an encouraging smile. 

Jeno exhaled, letting out a slow breath. 

Finally, Jeno slowly unwound his body from itself and from the rope, letting his leg fall to the ground. His bare foot hit the grass and then the other. He let go of the vines, letting himself stand fully on his own and he stared at his bare feet amongst the blades of grass, feeling overwhelmed. 

“Is it everything you ever dreamed of?” 

And Jeno knows he was joking. He knows that Jaemin wasn’t being serious, but Jeno couldn’t help the way tears pricked at his eyes when he nodded his head. He didn’t let any fall. 

“Yeah- I- this is crazy. This is crazy, Jaemin,” Jeno’s voice wavered. 

Jeno took a step forward, drinking in the scenery of the beautiful clearing he called a home. He’d never seen it up so close. He turned, basking in the way the sun hit his skin and the way the dewy grass felt between his toes. A breath of fresh, outside air filled Jeno’s lungs. Maybe he’s crazy, but it felt different. 

Jeno laughed. 

“This is crazy. This is so- this is _unreal.”_

Jaemin laughed, setting Bongsik down on the ground. 

“It’s gonna get a lot more unreal than this, blondie,” Jaemin held out his hand for Jeno to take. 

Jeno stared at it and he understood what taking it would entail. It was him accepting the journey that was ahead of him. Him accepting the fact that he was betraying Doyoung’s wishes. Him accepting that he couldn’t stay holed up in that tower for the rest of his life, not if he wanted to be happy. 

“You ready?” 

Jaemin’s face was painted with a beautiful devilish grin. 

Jeno took his hand, clutching tightly. 


End file.
